Over 150 logged parts have emerged from a new 3D printer, the brainchild of graduate student Michael Bell, by room D115 in Moench Hall since it was installed fourth week of this quarter. Bell, who has a bachelor’s in Computer Engineering and is currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, said that he was motivated to design the printer by the lack of access to machines on campus.

“I came to Rose with the desire to learn how to 3D print entire electrical/mechanical devices, such as cell phones,” he said. “I've worked with 3D printers since high school, but by the time I became a senior at Rose I realized many students didn't know what they were.”

During an independent study with Dr. Patrick Cunningham of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Bell designed and built a 3D printer for National Instruments. During that time, he stated that he would like to see 3D printers become as prevalent on campus as paper printers. Dr. Cunningham replied, “Why not?”

Bell then applied for and received about $500 from IP/ROP to construct a "Low Cost, Robust, Publicly Accessible 3D Printer” and to supply a quarter’s worth of plastic filament.

“My goal with the project is to enable students to build their own creations, all while learning about 3D printing,” he said. “While the printer is completely free monetarily, some students for the first time are learning how to design in 3D modeling programs. Others are learning how to calibrate the machine, and are actually learning a great deal from this unique hands-on experience.”

The 3D printer in the hallway was actually built by ECE Senior Technologist Mark Crosby, whom Bell introduced to 3D printing last year. Crosby based the printer off of designs from Bell, who has previously built more than five printers.

“It was really important to me that a staff member takes charge of keeping the printer in shape, since this is my last quarter at Rose and staff members are here for more generations of students and have the resources and spare time to maintain something like this.”

After two and a half weeks, the printer was read. Bell was surprised by how quickly students began to use it. He put the printer out at 6 p.m. December 18, and came back the next morning to find that four parts had already been printed between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

“This was all without any type of notification that a 3D printer was in the hallway, students just sat down and figured out how the thing worked after stumbling upon it.” Bell said.

Since it was installed in Moench, the printer has garnered a huge response. Right now, 11 students are continuing Bell’s idea and are building their own 3D printer.

“The first seminar I gave on 3D printing 6th week had more students than could fit in D116 classroom (around 70),” Bell said. “I ended up giving the same seminar again the following week that had another 50 students, packing the room.”

According to Bell, the first parts printed were all personal. Later on, students started using the printer for classes like Mechatronics, Introduction to Robotics, Image Recognition, and Graphical Communications. Even the HPV team has used it for their carbon fiber molds. The machine is so popular that it’s difficult to schedule all the parts students want to print. Bell and Crosby are looking into adding another 3D printer to spread out the work.

Students do not require permission to use the printer and can use it anytime, and anyone that needs help or information can look up instructions on 3dprint.rose-hulman.edu. According to Bell, printing is a straight-forward procedure for those who are technologically competent. Students can talk to Mr. Crosby in his office E105 if they encounter any problems.

“My only rule for the printer is that someone who knows how to use it teaches those who don't,” he said.

Bell will be moving to Harvard next month, where he’ll start his PhD in Materials Science and will be working on his dream of 3D printing of electronics.

Last Tuesday, a gunman kidnaped a 5-year-old boy after boarding a school bus and killing the bus driver near his home. The suspect has been identified as 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes, a retired trucker and Vietnam War veteran. The boy was held hostage by his captor for a week in an underground bunker in Alabama. The boy was rescued physically unharmed by the FBI after a surprise attack that led to the death of Dykes. The blast apparently came from a “diversionary device”, said a FBI source. FBI officers had lowered a camera into the bunker that allowed them to plan when to throw in the flash-bag to distract Dykes. That’s when FBI agents entered through a door at the top of the bunker. This incident in Midland city, Alabama, has also increased the concerns about gun violence and school safety across the United States after the December shooting in Newtown that took the life of 26 persons, including children.

Movie about US secretary-turned-king coming soon

In 2008, Peggielene Bartels, an American secretary working at the Ghanaian Embassy, received an unexpected phone call from a cousin congratulating her for being the new king of Otuam, a small fishing village on the coast of Ghana. Since then, she has been working on making a better life for the poor families of Otuam. “I realized that on this earth, we all have a calling. We have to be ready to accept it because helping my people has really helped me a lot to know that I can really touch their lives,” says Bartels. Last year, King Peggy documented her real-life fairy tale story in a book co-authored by herself and Eleanor Herman. For next year, they are expecting the release of a film based on her incredible life journey from secretary to king after Hollywood star Will Smith bought the rights to the book.

Facebook developing a stalking application

On Wednesday, a report revealed that Facebook may be working on a smartphone app that will let the users see the location of friends and of strangers at all times. The app would run in the background of smartphones even when not opened and is designed to help user find nearby friends, Bloomberg report says. As Facebook earns most of its money from advertising, this app will become a useful tool to collect data of its user’s location. Facebook said it doesn’t sell its data to advertisers. However, it will use the data to help advertisers target potential customers. The growth of this app is moving slowly because people are concerned about their privacy. “I think the challenge is that aggregating by location clearly might provide some really useful information. But there are a whole lot of social norms that can be stressed, by even public information.” said Jules Polonetsky, director of Future of Privacy Forum.

Editor’s note: Out of respect for the search committee’s request to keep candidates’ identities confidential, The Rose Thorn will refer to candidates as Candidate A, Candidate B, etc. in the order of their on-campus visits. Please refer to www.rose-hulman.edu/presidentialsearch for the identities of each candidate.

Candidate A

Faculty, family, and undergraduate focus were the three headlines of Candidate A’s presentation Monday. The candidate, who is currently the Dean of Engineering at a large Midwestern research institution, started his presentation by noting that “the intellectual property in [a student’s] degree comes from the faculty.” He claimed to be a great fan of the atmosphere of caring and commitment created by those faculty, while also applauding their agility in creating new curricula and educational options. He also noted that he would fit will with Rose-Hulman’s family atmosphere because he was “not capable of not trusting you; I assume honesty.”

Candidate A graduated from the University of Arkansas and heavily emphasized the effect his undergraduate education had on his career. He also emphasized his background as a farmer and claimed that he was a hard worker from childhood on. When speaking of his core values, he noted that Rose-Hulman’s guiding principles were very similar to his own.

At his current position, Candidate A has been heading a successful capital campaign for new engineering facilities, scholarships, and faculty members. He noted that his expertise from that project aligns well with Rose’s current strategic plan. As he concluded his speech, candidate A noted that he was a “macro-manager; I refuse to make a decision that someone else should make.”

Candidate B

Longtime Rose-Hulman community member and current interim President Rob Coons spoke on Wednesday the 6th. Coons made his case for the presidency based on his long experience and familiarity with Rose. He noted that his experience as controller and chief administrative officer have made him familiar with the current Board of Trustees, and that this familiarity would have him up to speed quickly if he became the president.

In his address, Coons examined a series of challenges that Rose-Hulman is facing in his view, along with his strategies to overcome those challenges. Several of those challenges were focused on moving forward and taking risks, and as the talk progressed, Coons returned to the theme of getting Rose-Hulman moving forward again. Coons then discussed his qualifications for the position. He highlighted his people skills, strategic ability, and heavy involvement with finances and budgets as positive traits.

To conclude his talk, Coons discussed specific goals for the institution should he become president. Among his ideas were a fund to promote curricular innovation and a new Center for Technologically Enhanced Education, a new Forever Rose initiative to build new, meaningful relationships with alumni, and an increase in the diversity of the Rose-Hulman community. As he finished, Coons claimed that Rose-Hulman is already on the right path with the new strategic plan, and notes that he is very interested in seeing Rose execute on that plan.

Retro Review: Final Fantasy VIII wish this was a final fantasy~Kevin Weaver

In an unspecified year, it became mainstream to make the most whiny, emotionally disturbed, and all around apathetic characters the star of every piece of major media. From comics, games, and even to movies, these "emo" stars started to be called innovative for their ability to relate to the audience.

This premise alone insults me, literally.

"Final Fantasy VII" was developed by Square Enix back in the glory days of the late 90s. It was hailed as an epic journey with a deep premise and story line, filled with characters that built themselves with the world, and is also attributed for one of the most shocking deaths in gaming history. I disagree with all accounts.

First of all, epic is meant to describe something being richly detailed and enthralling with its size and depth. The term was coined for poems back in and before the old Roman Empire, such as Homer's "Odyssey." "Final Fantasy VII," on the other hand, feels like every idea and detail were drawn out of a kid's coloring book and thrown together into what can barely pass as a realistic world. I never once believed that any part of it was fun, realistic, or even deep. Note: having plot twists does not make something deep.

Next, these are not good characters. Aside from design, which is admittedly original for its time, these characters are all more flat and stoic then anything else I have ever seen. Cloud remains a cry baby from beginning to end, Yuffi an annoying ninja girl that is just begging to be thrown off a cliff, a second emo character named Vincent who won't even grunt unless someone passes wind in his face, and most notably of all, Aerith, a character I never understood or cared for. This leads into point three.

If you have a character no one cares about, they aren't going to care when they die. Yes, Aerith dies. I tell you this like every message board and internet meme tells you Snape kills Dumbledore. But guess, what? I didn't care. I almost cheered when that ten-foot blade impaled her. I wish I were making that last part up.

The only thing that is worth noting in this game is the combat system, which is important for a game. However, given the time between when this was made and now, there are plenty of newer games that have a much-needed update to this system, and with characters and stories I can care about.

Simply, this game did not age well, and I did not enjoy it. I say this as someone who did not play it way back in the glory days, because I was too busy enjoying other "legends." However, this is evidence enough, as I am not being drowned in nostalgia, that this game did not age well. Others may have, but this is not one of them.

Fans eagerly awaited the third expansion for Bethesda's "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" since its first teaser trailer. "Dragonborn" was slated to be even more epic than the original game, adding new enemies, items, and even a new facet to gameplay. Bethesda has, since the fan favorite "Oblivion," endeavored to make expansions that significantly added to an already impressive experience. While the "Hearthfire" expansion was definitely outside the normal method of that goal, the developers certainly achieved it by giving players an even more customizable homestead (something that had been requested and suggested since "Oblivion"). Dragonborn returned to the storyline add-on style, and the final product was something reminiscent of another fan favorite.

"Dragonborn" almost seems to be an emotional successor to the "Shivering Isles" expansion for "Oblivion." In each case, the add-on introduced an entirely new area into the game, as well as an entirely new plethora of enemies and items. Speaking from experience, the size of the Shivering Isles was as much painful as it was impressive, and many will be glad to know that Solstheim, the new area in this expansion, isn't quite so large. Solstheim does feature a few new landscapes, from the ashlands to the somewhat familiar icy northern coasts. Those who have played "Morrowind" will experience a pretty intense nostalgia kick, as much of the locations and enemies harken back to the game. New weapons, armor, and rare items are well worth the hunt, and there's plenty else to do on the island. A relatively short questline can earn you a house in Raven Rock, and another will make you the chief of a small tribe of the blue, gnommish Rieklings. Still, the main plotline is where most of the glory and intensity lies.

With this expansion you're given the opportunity to face down another dragonborn, long trapped in the realm of Hermaeus Mora, Daedric prince of knowledge. Along the way, you must delve into Mora's realm, Apocrypha, in pursuit of knowledge as to how to match your ancient rival. The first visit is an unavoidable shock quickly offset by awe, as Lovecraftian beasts protect the massive libraries of all the world's knowledge, seated deep in the murk of Mora's void. As you prgress through the use of Black Books, you can further augment your abilities with knowledge discovered deep within. Mora's final reward for usurping the ancient dragonborn is one you probably won't expect, but will most likely greatly appreciate.

Bethesda stressed the introduction of dragon-mounted travel and combat in this add-on, but it wasn't quite what it could have been. With the help of a new Shout, dragonflight is limited to a relatively small area around enemies you can target and areas to which you can fast travel, and for the most part the new mount will simply circle like a buzzard and swoop down to attack any hostiles nearby. Once you have had enough and command the dragon to land, it will shortly abscond and return to whatever it may have been doing before it saw you. It's a novelty more than anything, for while the dragons are quite powerful, their use detracts from much of the inherent fun of combat. Still, the addition is a fan service, and the new Shout allows you to command almost any enemy for a time. Between that and the addition of a few extremely choice pieces of armor and an entire new smithing material, "Dragonborn" brings well upwards of a solid twelve hours of entertainment. It's not perfect, but it really is a great add-on, and I feel I should thank Bethesda for giving fans what we've been asking for all along.

My American Airlines plane arrived at Terre Haute, and I remember that I was the only passenger in a full-sized Boeing 737. This was not an encouraging sign about the place at which I was hoping to land a job.I was coming to this town for my on-campus interview at Rose-Hulman, and I did not know what to expect. I knew that it was a “preppy” school, as my husband had put it when I had asked him about it, and when one of my research collaborators heard that I was showing interest in it, he said that it was an American Midwestern “gem”. At that time, I was a joint post-doc at Lawrence Berkeley Lab and Schlumberger-Doll Research, working from my base in the Schlumberger research labs in Connecticut. The next day I spent the whole day with Art Western and his wife. At that time, Art was the Physics and Applied Optics department head. We went to different parks and drove around many tree-lined boulevards. I was pretty impressed at how pretty the town was. (Later, I learned that Art had carefully charted his course of tour to only show me the ‘good’ parts of Terre Haute). That evening the Western family welcomed me to their house, and I had a home-made supper with them. The warmth made me feel instantly at home.The next day was my interview day. Art had warned me that it would be busy, and he was right on the dot. From 7:30 a.m. till 8:30 p.m. I talked to people, toured labs, gave a seminar, taught a class, and ate. There are a few things that stand out in my memory from this day. The people were genuinely nice, the weather was uncharacteristically warm (though Art said it was typical for Terre Haute for February), and the best part of it was that the overall experience was unbelievably enjoyable. I felt so good that later I called up my husband from my hotel room, and gloated about the fast-food restaurants that Terre Haute has. You see, our little town in Connecticut did not allow them, and somehow I had felt very deprived. Terre Haute was full of them! Then, after it was all over, it was back to the airport. There, another disconcerting sign awaited me: The pilot had to hand-crank the propeller to get it started on the little plane that took me to Chicago. Clearly, air travel to and from Terre Haute was not a big business.When time came, I accepted the offer, still with some trepidation. However, the collegiality of the department erased my doubts. The faculty members were all extraordinarily nice to me, and extended their helping hands even when I did not ask. To this day, I am very grateful to all of my colleagues, and I believe that I am one lucky person to have ended up here. Art Western moved on from the chair’s position to the Dean’s position, and now he has retired from Rose-Hulman. I feel his absence. I will always be indebted to him for his guidance that he offered me unconditionally through my formative years as a professor. He was a friend, an older brother, a mentor, and a confidant. When I think back to those early days, I believe that because of him egging me on, I felt energized to continue striving and to achieve as much as I could. All this made me realize that how small and insignificant a place is on the world map, or the quality of air travel in and out of it does not matter. It is the people who make a place. I am grateful to all of my colleagues, my students, and my friends who have made this place live up to the description of a “Midwestern gem.”